The Portland daily press., 1887-06-18
BANcoR's STRIKES"
The Seasons Sport at the Famous
Salmon Pool.
Pleasure and Profit from Few Yards
of Maine Water
A Much Frequented Club House and
the Stories Told Aboutlt.
rSnecial to the ppRss /

BANGOR, June 17.-Out of the few hum
bred yards of turbulent water between the
waterworks dam and Brewer bridge the peo-
pie of Bangor will this year derive an advan-
tage equal in its benefits to an accession of
several hundreds of population. In 1886 the
Maine Central railroad sold at Portland thir-
teen hundred and fifty dollars worth Of
tickets to the Bangor Salmon Pool it Is the
estimate of a Bangor citizen of good judg-
ment that last seasons salmon fishing poured
ten thousand dollars into the pockets of the
people of the Queen City. Yet last year the
number of fish actually taken from the pool
was only about too hundred. In proportion
to the use of capital the return was magnifi-
cent.
Bangor did not always enjoy the return
which now comes from this Salmon Pool
Ten or more years ago no one here thought
of fishing for salmon with line. The salm-
on were there. Through this part of the
river all the myriads of fish that sought the
great lakes and the scores of streams tributa-
ry to the Penobsc0t passed on the way to
their spawning beds. Then as now this lit
tie portion OF the river above Brewer bridge
was for the salmon the gateway to the happy
waters Of northern Maine. Men knew this,
too, but they took advantage Of it in very
foolish and unsportsmanlike manner. In
Datteaux, and equipped with nets, they
scooped the salmon from every well known
haunt in this little stretch Of water. A bat
teau loaded down with the largest and finest
salmon was no uncommon sight on a spring
night. The fishermen delighted in their
gains apparently undisturbed by the fact that
the salmon were fast disappearing 1t was
tnen tnat some gentlemen who had fshed on
the great salmon streams Of the Provinces
determined to save to their own PenobscOt
the fast disappearing race.
The Legislature of Maine passed law that
no salmon, shad or other migratory fish
shall be taken or fished for within five hum
dred yards of any fishway, dam or mill race
nor between the Bangor and Brewer bridge
over the Penvbscot river and the water
works dam at Treat S Falls, on said river;
nor between the Augusta highway bridge
over the Kennebec River and the Augusta
dam, between the first days of April and No
yember,. except by the ordinary mode of ang-
ling with single hook and line or artificial
flies, nor shall hook and line or artificial flies
be used at any time within one hundred
yards OF any iishway, dam or mill race" The
commissioners OF flsh and game began to
hatch young salmon artiicialIy, and by add
ing the young to the old to turn the tide of
decrease. Progress was slow. The men who
had been deprived by law of their old fishing
privileges were
sULKY AND TROUBLESOME.
They saw no reason why they should not
be allowed to exterminate the salmon for a
temporary advantage; and found in the law
nothing but injustice. But the law was kept
on the statute books and enforced, through
many discouragements, until one spring day
five years ago fisherman who was throwing
his line with expectations of a few small and
common fishes was astonished at pulling in
a salmon.
From that time the Bangor Salmon Pool
began to be talked about, To-day, in the
opinion OF good judges, it is. for its size and
position, the best fishing ground for salmon
on the whole Atlantic coast The famous
grounds of the Restigouche now take second
place in the preferences Of veteran fishermen
who have resorted to the Provinces for sport
for quarter of century.
The first salmon was taken this season on
the 18th of May. The remarkable floods on
the Penobscot delayed the fishing more than
TWO weeks. Last year the season began
April 30th. BY the first of July it generally
ends, During all this time the fishing is not
equally good, The salmon go by what the
fishermen call runs, though of these runs
little is known except the phenomenon of
plenty OF fish instead of a scarcity They occur
In the season when the salmon are going up
river to spawn. 1t has been very satisfactorily
demonstrated by an experiment that the Pc
nobscot salmon goes up river to spawn once
in two years. The fish commission of Maine
attached tags to several fish and offered re-
wards for them whenever found. But why
there should be these breaks during the
course OF the migration, and then the throngs
Of fish, or runs" at intervals, is mystery
to the fisherman. He knows that the runs
exist; he is just now enjoying one of them
at the Salmon Pool.
of course in speaking of this salmon fishing
1t Is to be understood that hook and line
fishing only is meant. Salmon are taken by
weirs, but mot in that part above Brewer
bridge, where nothing more destructive than
line fishing is allowed by the act of the Leg
lslature. The weir fishermen fish for gain,
the numbers of fish not the excitement Of the
capture being the object in view Last Sat
urday and Sunday one man took from his
weirs at Sears Island, on the lower Penob-
scot waters, fifty-four salmon weighing to-
gether
SIX HUNDRED POUNDS.
Compare this with the record of the sports
men who have angled with their slender
lines and poles in the Salmon Pool This is
the record of fish caught.for the first of this
season at the Salmon Pool.
May III, W.T.. 10 lbs.
+" 1S-2 g 10 lbs each.
{" 1913, and 8 lbs. and one unknown